Resilient multiple-contact trolley-wheel.



No. 737,582. PATENTED SEPT. 1,'190s.

- 13.3.00135. RESILIENT MULTIPLE CONTACT TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLIGATIO N FILED A PR.14. 1903.

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PETERS cc, PNOTO-LIYHQ, V/ASMINGTD No. 737,582. PATENTBD SEPT. 1, 1903.

E. s. COBB. RESILIENT MULTIPLE CONTACT TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 14. 1903.

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Patented September ii, 190%.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. COBB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

RESILIENT M ULTlPLE-CONTACT TROLLEY-WHEEL.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,582, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed April 14, 1903.

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. COBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia,have invented a new and useful Resilient Multiple-ContactTrolley-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolley-wheels, and particularly to atrolley-wheel which is adapted for use in high-speed service on electricrailways.

Trolley-wheels as commonly constructed have only one point of contactwith the wire and are not reliable for service on cars which run at highspeeds, being apt to jump from the wire easily when the wire is out ofaline- 1nent or where the road-bed is uneven or at curves. Suchconditions cause excessive sparking and consequent loss of power, the

contact of the ordinary trolley under these conditions being ineffectualand not transmitting all the current that it should from the wire. Theobject of this invention is to provide a trolley-wheel which willovercome these difficulties. In the present invention the wheel contactswith the wire at several points, and the means for producing the contactis so constructed as to provide an elastic pressure which effectuallysecures the proper contact of each point. This construction results ineasing the shock 011 the suspension members of the trolley-wire due tothe blows incurred by rapid travel of the car, and the elasticconstruction reduces wear of the overhead structure and givespractically a perfect contact between the trolley-wheel andtrolley-wire. Any slight jar or shock of the car tends to jerk themembers which suspend the trolley, and the inertia of the suspensionmembers usually throws the ordinary trolley wheel away from the wire aconsiderable distance; but with the present invention the trolleywheelmay move bodily toward or from the trolley-wire without necessarilycarrying the trolley-wheel out of contact with the wire.

Desirably the trolley is provided with multiple flexible contacts forsimultaneous c011- tacting with a wire at a plurality of places 011opposite sides thereof, the flexibility of the contacts being sufficientto allow of the passage between them of inequalities of the wire SerialNo. 152,602. (No model.)

or of the attachments for suspending the wire in an overhead system.

The main object of such construction is to allow a large portion of thecircumference of a trolley-wheel to be flexibly in contact with thewire, thereby affording superior supply ofcurrent to the trolley-wheeland making it possible for the axis of the wheel to considerably changeits distance from the wire without impairing the effective contacttherewith.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation showing thepreferred construction of my trolley-wheel. A short length of thetrolley-wire is shown with which the wheel is in'contact. Figs. II, III,IV, and V are views similar to Fig. I, showing modified constructions.Fig. VI is a section on line VI VI, Fig. I. Fig. VII is a section online VII VILFig. II. Fig. VIIIis a section on line VIII VIII, Fig. III.Fig. IX is a section on line IX IX, Fig. IV. Fig. X is a section on lineX X, Fig. V.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Fig. I, 1 designates theaxle or hub, which may be constructed of a suitable conducting materialand may preferably be cast integral with a spider 2. 3 designates therim of the spider. 4 designates resilient contact-wings which arearranged in opposite pairs around the rim 3, and each pair may besecured to the rim 3 by means of a bolt 5. Each wing is segmental inform and folded over to produce an inner contact-web 6. The innercontact-webs 6 present convex faces which are adapted to squeezeopposite sides of the trolley-wire, and thus maintain the electricconnection. The lower ends of the webs 6 terminate a slight distanceabove the rim 3, and the material of which the wings 4 are composedprovides the requisite amount of resiliency to the wings. The spacebetween the inner webs 6 gradually narrows towardthe rim 3, and theconvex webs converge toward the rim. WVhen the wheel is on the wire, thecontact is made laterally through the wire between opposite pairs ofwings, as shown in Fig. VI. The resiliency of the web 6 is such that thewheel may have a bodily movement toward and from the wire withoutcausing the wings to be drawn from the wire. Moreover, the pressurebetween the trolley and the wire is produced directly by the resiliencyof the wings and of course indirectly by the upward pressure caused bythe upward spring of the trolley-pole.

Figs. II and VII show another form of construction in which the wings 8are formed with both webs extending an equal distance down the oppositefaces of the rim 3, the bolt passing through only one web of the wing,which leavesthe opposite wing free to spring. As shown in Fig. II,alternate wings have their attaching-bolts passing through the wings onthe same side of the rim.

Referring to Fig. III, 9 designates a pair of opposite disks which areformed in rights and lefts. Each disk is provided with segmental wings10. The space between a pair of wings is similar to the shape of thewing, but is a trifle larger to allow the wings of each disk to projectthrough the slots of the other.

Fig. IV shows wings 11 formed very similar to the webs 6, except thatthe inner webs are straight and at the bottom are slightly curved justabove the rim 12, which in this instance is shown as solid with the hub1 of the trolley. 13 designates auxiliary blades, segmental in form,which are fastened outside of the wings 11 and serve to stiffen thelatter.

Fig. V shows a construction in which the hub 1 carries a grooved rim 14,which is preferably cast integral with the hub and which is deeplygrooved. Around thecenter of the groove is a concentric web 15. 16designates segmental spring-wings, which are secured to opposite flangesof the rim 14 by means of rivets or other suitable fastening deviceswhich pass through the wings and webs of the rim 14 near the peripheryof the same. The

wings 16 are curved, so as to present convex faces which are adapted tobear against the opposite sides of the trolley-wire. When the wheel isheld on the wire by the trolley-pole, the Web 15 bears against the underside of the wire, while the wings 16 squeeze the wire between them asthey bear against the opposite sides of the-wire.

There are several specific ways of constructing my trolley-Wheel, and inthe present application I have shown the construction which seems to bemost feasible for accomplishing the desired results.

WhatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. A trolley-wheel comprising a rotatable member, anda plurality ofsegmental spring contact-Wings arranged on opposite sides of the memberand adapted to contact with both sides of the trolley-Wire.

the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 9th day ofApril, 1903.

EDWARD S. COBB.

Witnesses:

GEORGE '1. HAoKLnY, JULIA TOWNSEND.

